As regular readers of the live blog will know, February was well and truly the month of the Great 15-minute City Debate.

The hotly debated schemes – which, in a nutshell, attempt to combat congestion by ensuring that most local amenities can be accessed safely and easily by bike or on foot within 15 minutes – have spawned a head-scratching array of conspiracy theories, mostly based around surveillance, government control, and ‘climate lockdowns’ which will enforce people to stay within their own areas.

These conspiracy theories, as unfounded and sometimes shameful as they are, have been raised by GB News stalwarts, Olympic swimmers-turned-controversialists, Members of Parliament, climate change deniers, and neo-Nazi-infiltrated demonstrations in recent weeks (the Monster Raving Loony party, meanwhile, bowed out of the debate, noting that the whole thing is even “too loony” for them).

The vocal and misleading opposition to the 15-minute city (which, it has to be said, has nestled up alongside residents who may have genuine concerns about LTNs and the like) was also tackled, with the kind of balance you’ve come to expect, on the road.cc Podcast last month.

But, after a mad month of conspiracy theories and protests, a newly published YouGov poll (link is external) has claimed that – shock horror – the majority of British people would actually quite like their local area to become a 15-minute neighbourhood, thank you very much.

The survey found that 62 percent of those asked would support their local authority making it a target to turn their area into a 15-minute neighbourhood, with a majority of both Labour (73 percent) and Tory (57 percent) voters feeling the same way.

However, while most Brits are in favour of the concept, less than half believed that it would be easy to implement within their own area – a factor influenced, rather unsurprisingly, by geography, with most rural respondents reckoning that the practical nature of a 15-minute neighbourhood was beyond their reach. 65 percent of “very urban” residents, meanwhile, believe that the schemes would be easy to implement.

Those surveyed were then asked, in the event of the local council brining in the 15-minute concept, which amenities should or should not be included as part of the scheme, with over 80 percent of respondents reckoning that bus stops, post boxes, pharmacies, GP surgeries, and parks should all be reachable by a short walk or cycle.

It’s this kind of result which highlights the potential benefits of 15-minute-neighbourhoods. While 83 percents of those polled would fancy a GP surgery within walking or cycling distance, only 54 percent can currently reach one in that time.

This part of the poll, it must be said, did raise some eyebrows online – Why would anyone deliberately not want a post box or bus stop within 15 minutes of their house?

I suppose conspiracy theories will do that to you…

https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-7-march-2023-299771#live-blog-item-43691

road.cc is doing its level best to usher in the new world order, but this
article is a least as rabid as those of which it complains!

A shedload of investment would be needed, to supply inferior services and
restrict freedom of choice. What GP would want to restrict their catchment
area to such a tiny population? There is a shortage of GPs…

I would hate to lose the freedom of choice that a 15-minute neighbourhood
would enforce.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> As regular readers of the live blog will know, February was well and
> truly the month of the Great 15-minute City Debate.
>
> The hotly debated schemes – which, in a nutshell, attempt to combat
> congestion by ensuring that most local amenities can be accessed safely
> and easily by bike or on foot within 15 minutes – have spawned a
> head-scratching array of conspiracy theories, mostly based around
> surveillance, government control, and ‘climate lockdowns’ which will
> enforce people to stay within their own areas.
>
> These conspiracy theories, as unfounded and sometimes shameful as they
> are, have been raised by GB News stalwarts, Olympic
> swimmers-turned-controversialists, Members of Parliament, climate change
> deniers, and neo-Nazi-infiltrated demonstrations in recent weeks (the
> Monster Raving Loony party, meanwhile, bowed out of the debate, noting
> that the whole thing is even “too loony” for them).
>
> The vocal and misleading opposition to the 15-minute city (which, it has
> to be said, has nestled up alongside residents who may have genuine
> concerns about LTNs and the like) was also tackled, with the kind of
> balance you’ve come to expect, on the road.cc Podcast last month.
>
> But, after a mad month of conspiracy theories and protests, a newly
> published YouGov poll (link is external) has claimed that – shock horror
> – the majority of British people would actually quite like their local
> area to become a 15-minute neighbourhood, thank you very much.
>
> The survey found that 62 percent of those asked would support their local
> authority making it a target to turn their area into a 15-minute
> neighbourhood, with a majority of both Labour (73 percent) and Tory (57
> percent) voters feeling the same way.
>
> However, while most Brits are in favour of the concept, less than half
> believed that it would be easy to implement within their own area – a
> factor influenced, rather unsurprisingly, by geography, with most rural
> respondents reckoning that the practical nature of a 15-minute
> neighbourhood was beyond their reach. 65 percent of “very urban”
> residents, meanwhile, believe that the schemes would be easy to implement.
>
> Those surveyed were then asked, in the event of the local council brining
> in the 15-minute concept, which amenities should or should not be
> included as part of the scheme, with over 80 percent of respondents
> reckoning that bus stops, post boxes, pharmacies, GP surgeries, and parks
> should all be reachable by a short walk or cycle.
>
> It’s this kind of result which highlights the potential benefits of
> 15-minute-neighbourhoods. While 83 percents of those polled would fancy a
> GP surgery within walking or cycling distance, only 54 percent can
> currently reach one in that time.
>
> This part of the poll, it must be said, did raise some eyebrows online –
> Why would anyone deliberately not want a post box or bus stop within 15
> minutes of their house?
>
> I suppose conspiracy theories will do that to you…
>
> https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-7-march-2023-299771#live-blog-item-43691
>

--
Spike

Wish they'd introduce a LTN where I live, rat run hell , school drop off is a horn fest of pavement parking. No one fancies walking due to crazy bastards speeding , no enforcement of anything as far as cars are concerned. Every front garden is a car storage area and the council want more [ council leader has stated this ] . Crap cycling and walking infrastructure and this is an area of deprivation, made worse by having to own a bloody car as its too dangerous/difficult to walk or cycle. Judging by the damage to roadside furniture and the like its hardly surprising people buy SUVs in Walsall.. ffs